Society Opposed To Inquiry
An official commission of inquiry into homosexuality and the law is unlikely to produce the results hoped for by Parliamentarians and churchmen who see this as a step towards reform, according to a statement by the New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society. | When the Petitions Comimittee reported on the society’s recent petition to Parliament. several members of Parliament recommended an official inquiry, which is also favoured by some of the churches. “These supporters of our obiectives may not have considered the limitations of such a procedure,” says the Inresident. Professor ’J. 11. Robb. “It would be difficult Ito draw up terms of reference 'which did not either retrace 'the work of the Wolfenden I Committee in Britain or set goals which could not be attained in New Zealand. “Committees too often have been used as devices for delay. and their findings, even when favourable, have been shelved for decades. The evidence is already available
for members of Parliament and others interested in social justice to study and decide whether our claims are justified." The society's statement said that the law reform movement believed that the JusItice Department’s publica-l tions and its submissions to (Parliament showed it to be (fully informed of the desirability of changing the law. I In addition to the support of' (people with specialised know-1 | ledge in law and medicine | land as social , workers, the (society's objectives were approved by organisations as ' (varied as the Jaycees and I-(many of the churches. Mem-( •- bers of Parliament who had; fl studied the subject were -i | known to be in agreemento(but, in general, it would apeipear that members of Parlia(ment were lagging behind in- ; r I formed public opinion. -I Most of the research from: 1 f (comparable communities over-i el seas was published and had (been listed for the benefit t|of the Parliamentary comelmittee. Some limited local re- : e i search had been reported on i|at two recent academic semt'inars and the “New Zealand < (Medical .Journal," but study had been limited by the :(shortage of medical and other 1 -(experts and by the inhibij. i tions imposed by a small,' i [community where individuals(j ■ (were more likely to be iden-ii • titled. :
The suggestion made in one' submission to the Petitions Committee that New Zealand homosexuals were unique and quite unlike those in Britain, the United States, or northern , Europe had not been madeji in any professional publica-i, jtion or at either of the re- , (cent meetings of experts ; where it could be examined , by other qualified people. I, If published expert opinion), 'was to be disregarded, as itL had been by the Petitions); Committee, the only alterna-j. tive would be to bring the)) )overseas experts to New Zea-1, (land. That probably would I, (be impracticable and would' certainly make an inquiry I protracted and expensive. ! Although the Wolfenden • Committee had also consid- ■ ered prostitution, it had de- ! liberated for three years and ' any shorter investigation ' (here would be unlikely to pro-); (duce results either different [ lor worth while. The Wolfenden Committee of persons eminent in law. medicine, church and public!, affairs heard evidence from) 1 representatives of the British Medical Association, the British Psychological Association. (' the Institutes of Psycho-Ana- f lysis and Psychiatry, the \ .Royal Medico-Psychological i Association, and 18 doctors in i various public services and ! private practice. The Peti- r tions Committee had dis- t missed their conclusions and f
also the findings of at least six church committees who had sough! expert guidance in their deliberations. It would be unrealistic to expect homosexuals to give (firsthand information which) | might help a committee to (consider the causes of this behavioural condition or the (possibilities of treatment. No matter what safeguards were (devised, homosexuals would (feel reluctant to appear, particularly those who are well adjusted and not identified (by the community. The comimittee would thus gain an (unbalanced view. The law reform movement ( considered that greater public understanding of human problems was equally as important as legislative changes. It therefore believed that the educational work of the churches and other organisa ’ tions which supported it wasjl likely to be more effective'! than an official inquiry. ||
Society Opposed To Inquiry
Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31858, 10 December 1968, Page 25
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